SPEECH BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC MARTTI AHTISAARI
AT A DINNER HOSTED BY GOVERNOR JOSÉ MURAT OF THE STATE OF OAXACA, MEXICO
IN OAXACA ON 25.2.1999

To begin, let me thank you on behalf of myself, my wife and all of the Finnish guests here for the warm reception and superb hospitality that you have given us in this city with its wealth of history. Oaxaca is renowned for its delicious food, which I am sure we shall soon be enjoying.

My itinerary could not have had a finer conclusion than a visit to this beautiful state with such a rich past. Mexico’s 17^th President and national hero Benito Júarez was born in this state and also served it as governor. Engraved on his statue in this city are some immortal words of wisdom and guidance, which are just as relevant and important today as they were nearly a century and a half ago: "Respecting the rights of others is peace." If only all of us, both individuals and nations, could live according to that principle!

My wife arrived here already yesterday, so she has had more time to enjoy the numerous sights and delightful folk art of this colourful city. The rich cultural heritage of the pre-Hispanic period and later times is reflected in the traditions and festivals that are still cherished here.

The visitor encounters the history of Mexico at every turn in this city. It certainly deserves the title of World Heritage Site that UNESCO has conferred on it. The restoration of the old Santo Domingo monastery and its conversion into a regional museum was a unique cultural deed. As a result, you can now boast of having one of Mexico’s and indeed the world’s finest museums dedicated to archaeology and cultural anthropology.

In your earlier political work you were actively involved in taking care of international tasks. I was especially pleased to hear of your years of cooperation and friendship with Jacob Söderman, for which reason you have visited Finland four times.

Your work as the chairperson of the foreign affairs committee of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies has given you a broad perspective from which to develop Oaxaca’s international contacts. In your inaugural speech on 1 December 1998 you positively emphasised the need for international contacts and their importance for the development of your state. On that occasion you said: "Oaxaca must open its doors for productive investments from both Mexico and abroad, taking the relevant legal aspects into consideration and always guarding our sovereignty. That will make new relations in the fields of economy, politics, social development, technology and the environment possible."

Finland has been cooperating with Oaxaca for a long time. A large number of Finnish forestry experts worked on a project in the village of San Pedro el Alto in 1989-92, and tomorrow I shall have the opportunity to see some of the results of their efforts. Your state has rich forest resources, the protection and exploitation of which are not mutually-exclusive alternatives. Finland is a good example of a country where systematic, consistent and long-term forest management ensures that this important natural resource is preserved for future generations whilst at the same time increasing both local and national prosperity.

Cultural cooperation between Oaxaca and Finland is likewise well-established. A year and a half ago, the magnificent exhibition "The Feathered Serpent and the Jaguar God" presented treasures of sophisticated Mexican and Guatemalan Indian cultures to audiences in Finland. It was the biggest exhibition of artefacts from Mesoamerican civilisations that Europe had seen for decades. It attracted record numbers of visitors and certainly increased interest on the part of the Finns in your country, its history and sights.

A considerable number of the objects in this unique exhibition were on loan from the Cultural Centre of Oaxaca. My wife has told me how fascinated she was with the magnificent collection at this museum, where she spent several hours earlier today. I have just paid a brief visit to the Church of Santo Domingo and the outstanding Fray Francisco de Burgoa Library.

However, our cultural exchange is not limited merely to the past. San Augustine near Oaxaca is the location of a small workshop where art paper is made in a joint project between Finnish and Mexican associations. Finnish art organisations also maintain a studio here, where artists representing different genres can spend several months at a time and draw new inspiration from the cultural atmosphere and stunning scenery here. There are also frequent exchanges of exhibitions with Oaxacan artists.

I am convinced that this brief but important visit will give the delegation of senior officials, industrialists and businesspeople accompanying me valuable new ideas that they can use to make our cooperation and contacts even broader. I now propose a toast to the good health of Governor and Señora Murat and the prosperity of the people of Oaxaca.